This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides, polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides, the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides, as well as the production and isolation of such polynucleotides and polypeptides. More particularly, the polynucleotides and polypeptides of the present invention have been putatively identified as catalases.
Generally, in processes where hydrogen peroxide is a by-product, catalases can be used to destroy or detect hydrogen peroxide, e.g., in production of glyoxylic acid and in glucose sensors. Also, in processes where hydrogen peroxide is used as a bleaching or antibacterial agent, catalases can be used to destroy residual hydrogen peroxide, e.g., in contact lens cleaning, in bleaching steps in pulp and paper preparation and in the pasteurization of dairy products. Further, such catalases can be used as catalysts for oxidation reactions, e.g., epoxidation and hydroxylation.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there are provided novel enzymes, as well as active fragments, analogs and derivatives thereof.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there are provided isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding the enzymes of the present invention including mRNAs, cDNAs, genomic DNAs as well as active analogs and fragments of such enzymes.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for producing such polypeptides by recombinant technique comprising culturing recombinant prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic host cells, containing a nucleic acid sequence of the present invention, under conditions promoting expression of said enzymes and subsequent recovery of said enzymes
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there are also provided nucleic acid probes comprising nucleic acid molecules of sufficient length to specifically hybridize to a nucleic acid sequence of the present invention.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for utilizing such enzymes, or polynucleotides encoding such enzymes, for in vitro purposes related to scientific research, for example, to generate probes for identifying similar sequences which might encode similar enzymes from other organisms by using certain regions, i.e., conserved sequence regions, of the nucleotide sequence.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided antibodies to such catalases. These antibodies are as probes to screen libraries from these or other organisms for members of the libraries which could have the same catalase activity or a cross reactive activity.
These and other aspects of the present invention should be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.